Parking

While parking at ground level is limited to 51 spaces, there is plenty of space in the underground parking lot.
Please follow the instructions of the attendants. Do not park in front of the Church since this is a fire route and must be kept clear.

Additional parking is available on the east side of Elkhorn Public School and in the bus loop. Again, please follow the instructions of the attendant. The school requests that we do not park on the grass. Many thanks to Holly Richards, the Principal of Elkhorn Public School, for allowing us the use of the school property.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR FAMILY MASS – CHRISTMAS EVE AT 7:00 PM

Rehearsal: Sunday, December 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM

Each year, young people, Grade 3 and up, form a special choir for the Family Mass on Christmas Eve. Children must be at the Church by 6:00 PM. One rehearsal, which is mandatory, will be held on Sunday, December 20th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.

Please call Marilyn Calderone at 416-618-2041 for more information

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT DRESS REHEARSAL

Sunday, December 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM

S.K. to Grade 5 children are invited to participate in the pageant. The rehearsal will be held on Sunday, December 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM in the Church

GIFTS FOR CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S AID, ROSALIE HALL & ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Thank you so much for your wonderful response to our appeal for gifts for the Catholic Children’s Aid “Hope for the Children campaign, Rosalie Hall and St. Vincent de Paul. This weekend is your last chance to bring in gifts. Please include the mitten, stocking or gift tag with your gift.

All items may be left beside the Christmas tree in the boxes provided. If you were unable to get a tag, you may still contribute. Just bring your gift and place it in the appropriate place.

CASSEROLES FOR THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Weekend of December 17th/18th

Your prepared frozen casseroles will be collected at the Masses next weekend for delivery to the Good Shepherd Centre. Please note that because of the holidays, casseroles are being collected two weeks earlier.

More volunteers are urgently needed to help feed the hungry in our city. Please get a copy of a casserole recipe and a pan and give it a try. Remember to mark the label on the pan lid with the name of the casserole.
For more information, you may contact Irene Albrecht at 416 221-2791.

CHRISTMAS FOOD DRIVE FOR ROSALIE HALL & GOOD SHEPHERD CENTRE

Each month the food we collect is sent to Rosalie Hall and the Good Shepherd Centre.

Christmas time is a particularly difficult time for young families and the homeless of Toronto. Your food donations are a sign that somebody cares. Please continue to help these very worthwhile organizations.

We remind you to check the expiry dates before donating since we cannot pass on food that has expired.

Food donations may be placed in the bin provided in the Gathering Space. Thank you for your generous ongoing support.

JUST COFFEE

Fair trade organic coffees will be on sale after all the Masses next weekend.

EFFECT HOPE – LEPROSY MISSION OF CANADA

Collecting Stamps

This is a wonderful time of year to collect stamps from your Christmas cards and letters to give to Effect Hope, the Leprosy Mission of Canada, who are renowned for their effectiveness in the prevention, detection and treatment of leprosy. They are helping people to rebuild their lives. If you wish to help, your stamps may be left in the basket outside of the office.

SIMBANG GABI (MASS AT DAWN)

Commencing on Friday, December 16th at 6:00 AM

Blessed Trinity Parish, 3220 Bayview Avenue

Beginning on December 16th at 6:00 AM, there will be a Nine-Day Novena Mass in preparation for Christmas. Mass at dawn is a centuries old Filipino tradition offered to the Blessed Virgin Mary, honouring her motherhood.

Mary said ‘YES” and became the instrument for God to bring Christ into the world, Our Saviour – God born in the flesh! Coffee and tea will be served after Mass in the parish hall, and it is requested that you bring something to eat for breakfast (sandwich, danish or bagel) before beginning your day. Everyone is welcome.

“HOPE IN A TIME OF HEALING”

Monday, Dec. 19th at 7:00 PM

Catholic Pastoral Centre, 1155 Yonge Street

An Advent Invitation – Come together with others in a creative reflective space for a time of reflection and conversation to explore how the season of Advent might offer us hope in our healing journey through grief. This evening with Anne Williams, MAMS, DSD invites participants to embrace the Sacred within their own being and to open themselves to the new life waiting to emerge. For more information, please call New Beginnings at 416-921-1163 ext. 223.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE

Weekend of April 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2017

St. Gabriel’s Parish

A Marriage Preparation course will be offered here at St. Gabriel’s the weekend of April 21st to 23rd, 2017. The course will be held Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Sunday from
10:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

YOUTH GROUP NEWS

With 2016 coming to a close, the St. Gabriel’s Parish Youth Group is excited to share the many experiences in which we have partaken in the past few months.

At our first meeting in September, our youth group welcomed almost 35 new members, with 60 youth in attendance. To allow our members to bond, we have gone bowling together as a group and also had an evening of games, music, and food at our Winter Fair Social.

Our youth group also held two fundraisers here at St. Gabriel’s. For Halloween, we screened the new Ghostbusters movie, with popcorn generously donated by Cineplex Fairview Mall. In total we raised $153.00. Last month, the youth handcrafted and raffled off two Advent wreaths. Congratulations to our winners, Margaret O’Rourke and Teresa Sheldrick. The money raised totaled to $484.00, which will help cover the youth’s expenses in attending the Steubenville Conference this summer.

In October, our youth group planted trees at Cedarvale Park and Pineway Park, helping to promote environmental sustainability in the city. For our second outreach initiative, we contributed Winter Care packages which consisted of hats, scarves, socks and gloves. Our youth journeyed through the streets of downtown Toronto together to hand out the packages, helping almost 50 people stay warm this winter.

This month, the youth group is looking forward to experiencing Eucharistic Adoration in this season of Advent and to celebrate Christmastime together with a Potluck dinner. We are also excited to lead the Nativity Pageant at the 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass.

I would like to thank the youth group members for all their hard work and dedication, especially the Core Team members: Alliyah, Catherine, Christine, Eric, Erika, Janna, and Megan. As well, thank you to Fr. John, Fr. Brando, Francis Ng, Marilyn Calderone, Alicia Escobar, Leslie Tan-Man Wong, Sylvia Ha, and Paul Royes for their guidance and support. I also would like to express my gratitude to you, the parishioners, for your generous support of our Halloween Fundraiser and Advent Wreath Raffle.

I look forward to what 2017 brings for the youth here at St. Gabriel’s Parish. Any youth Grades 5 and up who are interested in joining the youth group may contact us at sgpyouthgroup@gmail.com.On behalf of the youth group I would like to wish you all a very safe, warm, and joyful Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.